Just Get Out In The Field

 

"For an LSP you sure don't get out in the field very much," the people murmur, discontentedly. And they have a point, so to put things right I RV'd with some church ranch people and off we went against the avian adversary, dove, splitting into two groups.

Our section had a good setup. Imagine a dead tree by a stock tank and then, maybe 150 yards off, another dead tree pretty much opposite the first. And there it is, mojo decoys at the tank, clipons at the further tree, wait for the birds to fly and have at it.

Fly they did, especially at the tank mojos, those things definitely work, which is awesome. But I was at the second dead tree and stupidly didn't have mojo power, only clipon. Still, plenty of fast flying, wing shooting action.

OK, I missed more than I hit but still, plenty of sound and fury and the tankers did very well, with one shooter close to limiting out. You see, practice doesn't hurt when you come to these things, especially when the birds are fast, go figure, dove, and shot-savvy, which they are at this point in the game; just watch them dodge your hurtling hail of 1400 fps BBs.

Then dusk began to fall and we regrouped in a laager of pickups to clean a tailgate of birds, tell war stories and enjoy ourselves under the bright stars of a Texan night. No small thing, they shine brightly.

What a great evening. Shotguns, pickups, birds, great people and the open air of the Lone Star State. There'll be dove poppers tomorrow. Yum.

Remember to aim,

LSP

Shoot The Guns

 

A new day, a new opportunity to shoot, so off we went to the range with a few guns, a 20 SxS, a 12 OU and a Marlin .22 WMR. Idea being to get some remedial shotgunnery in, and then a little plinking with the Marlin.

The range was overgrown and semi-flooded but we made it through, get a 4x4, LSP, and set up on dry ground next to a field, baking under a big Texan sky. The erstwhile Cadet went first, on the 12, and started smoking clays like a good 'un.

I followed up on the 20 and was more or less on, unlike the Specialist who specially smoked the clays with the same gun. Hmmm, improve your game, so-called "LSP." I did, and got in the zone, shooting far better to the right than left, curiously. Perhaps there's a moral in that.

A box of  orange "White Flyer" over, we moved on to the little magnum, shooting off the bed of the truck. Take that, fifty yard adversary, and the kid's offhand was impressive, right in the zone. Nice work. Then it was time to head back to the Compound, a good morning well spent.

I love shooting and file this tale under guns and country life in Texas.

Shoot straight,

LSP

A Miracle!

 

I managed to buy a valupak of 12 ammo today and celebrated the miracle with hot dogs. Thanks, LL, for the inspiration. Speaking of which, here's a photo of a Tech Giant caught in the act of taking down Parler. Via Virtual Mirage:

Let's hope this sinister enemy of free speech was brought to swift and decisive justice.

Shoot straight, if you can find any bullets.

Cheers,

LSP

How To Replace The Extractors On A Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag

"So, LSP, if that's your real name which we doubt, how do you replace the extractors on a Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag 12 gauge?" Good question, punters.  First things first, you put the beast on a Led Sled and take a photo with your not-so-smart phone. Beautiful, isn't it.

Then you reminisce about all the armed strolls through the country, dove down, skeet smoked, rabbits for the pot, ducks missed and general pump action shotgunnery. Good times, no doubt about it.

But here's the thing, it may be a deadly assault shotgun but only if the extractors work and the gun cycles ammo. Then it's banned in dhimmitudes like New Zealand, Great Britain, Australia and beyond. In those countries only criminals can own guns, so law abiding citizens are safer.

Reverie over you move to the task in hand, changing out the 20 year old (?) extractors and their dualist, Manichean springs. How? It's not hard, take down the weapon, behold the bolt, place it on two blocks of wood and tap out the pins which hold the extractors and springs in place. Then replace. Easy, right?

No, not easy, because the pins are held in place by dark Zeroastrian magicke, Pangea, typical. First you take a pin punch to the thing, tap, tap, tap; tap out the pin, LSP. Fail. The pins don't want to move because they're wedded to staying deep within the Solar Disc of the bolt.

Don't give up like some kind of RINO, fight through to the objective. For me, that meant moving the lubed up bolt to  a vise. Resist, Ulti-Mag enthusiasts, the urge to pound the bolt with a hammer. Instead, take a sturdier punch to the task and tap again, the pin should move. Follow through with a lighter gauge punch equivalent.

Retaining pins driven out of communion, replace the worn out qabbalists with new parts. It's easy enough, pop in the springs and extractors, hold the extractors in place with a retaining punch and tap in the pins. Do it in a vise, if you're me. 

Please don't freak out and pound on the immobile pins with a sledgehammer, that'll mess up the job. Stay calm and while you're at it it, remove and clean the bolt lock. You don't have to, there's no "rule," but I recommend it.

Then sit back and behold the glory of the thing. Two new extractors in an old bolt and a gun restored to fight again for another couple of decades. Right on, and you did it yourself as opposed to paying someone at Ray's to rip you off $200.

The Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag began life in 1988 as an all-purpose shotgun, capable of handling small to big loads, 2 1/4-3 1/2". It retails at around $600, mine cost $200 from a gun show a decade ago, and features a ported barrel, tang safety and over-bored barrel (don't try slugs, kids). It's been a workhorse and worth every penny.

Buy one if you like, but be sure to spray the unpleasant camo on the new guns black. Better yet, go to a gun show and buy one at the right price.

Your Pal,

LSP

In The City

So Where's this so-called "Ghetto"? Oh yeah, here it is.

Some say, unless they're determinists, that life is made up of a series of freewill choices. That's true for human beings and perhaps it's true for cities also. For example, Dallas had a choice, once. "Am I going to be a city, or a road?" It opted for road.

I was reminded of this today, as I drove across Dallas to visit a friend on the M Streets. I RV'd at his place and we set upon some low and slow pulled pork like there was no tomorrow. I tell you, that pork was as tasty as you like and better. 11 hours in the cooking and worth every minute.

On The Road

After the delicious pig it was time for some firearms show and tell. Some neat wealthy elite shotguns, a nice Winchester 70 30-06 and a Desert Eagle all featured. I'd never handled a Desert Eagle before, what a canon. Are they made out of re-purposed car parts? I don't know, but I like the myth.

A Book

Then books. "Do any of you read Latin and Greek?" asked my friend. "I'm an expert," stated GWB and I replied that I was "a bit rusty." Too bad, because M Streets was giving away a stack of the stuff, but you had to be able to read them. As it is, I settled for some translations. Thanks, Penguin Classics.

So that was that. Thanks for the hospitality, M Streets. A return match at the Compound is definitely in order.

And now for the debate.

LSP 

Storms Rock Texas

We were warned by our Commander-in-Chief, yes, warned, but took no heed. Texas refused to pay its carbon tax and play its part in the life and death War on Weather. Complacency slipped in, and this is the result.

The Commander

Thunder, lightning, incessant, relentless rain and fierce winds, all combining to make this the storm of the century. 31 counties have been declared disaster zones by Governor Greg Abbott and still the water continues to rise.

The Bricks

Rain is set to fall all week, bringing not only record breaking floods but also a plague of snakes, insects and floating trash.

The Road

Here, in this small farming community, we watch from high ground and the roofs of our homes as the rain pounds down, and stand ready, razor sharp kukris in hand and shotguns chambered, for the snakes.

The Dam

Lake Whitney dam holds, for now.

LSP

Drone Hunt

Good hunting!

Carry on,

LSP

Chasing Birds

I didn't get out in the field over the last two days to chase birds and shoot them, but my buddies did. They shot their limit, and I'd say that was laudable.

Maybe their success was down to brush pants and Yeti coolers? Who knows, but what we do know is that both Yetis shot their limit.

Well done, team.

LSP

Country Life in Texas

"So what's it like, LSP?" you ask, meaning, "Country life in Texas." Well I'll tell you. You go out on the front porch to clean some guns and five, yes, five, chickens fly out of the front hedge, around the compound and back from whence they came.

A shotgun would've come in handy.

That's what it's like. And Wendy Davis is not wanted here.

LSP

Mojo Rising

Perhaps you think that this post is all about the high-stepping lead singer of the Doors, who used to call himself the "Lizard King". It's not. It's about dove hunting and the Mojo dove decoy in particular.

Standing On The Runway Waiting For Takeoff

The beauty of the Mojo is that that it has spinning wings (battery powered), comes with a sturdy metal stake that you can put it on and, most importantly, brings in the dove. At least it has done, often.

Someone Else's Photo

This evening it didn't hurt and GWB shot a couple of Mojo lured birds as they came in fast over our setup in a treeline.

Blind Faith

But I wasn't having much luck, so I went for a stroll and shot a rabbit. Streak of movement to the right, shoot! One bunny for the pot.

Clean That Rabbit

As dusk set in the dove started flying in waves, high and fast. Brisk action and plenty of shots fired, but no result. The moon, on the other hand, was waxing full.

God bless,

LSP